Kluber Dazzles Again As Indians Beat Royals

Jul 6, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (28) delivers in the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Kluber Strikes Out 10 Over 8 1/3 For Eighth Win

Home runs from Carlos Santana and Yan Gomes in the second inning gave Corey Kluber all the run support he would need to put away the Royals on Sunday.  Kluber generated 15 swings-and-misses while throwing 75 of his 109 pitches for strikes.  Cody Allen got the final two outs in the ninth, and the Indians were able to come out on top by a score of 4-1 to take their second straight series.

The Positives

Yan Gomes is starting to once again flash some of that power we all loved last year, adding another homer and a double to his totals today.  Cody Allen bounced back from a harrowing ninth yesterday by retiring the only two batters he faced.  Carlos Santana pulled into a tie with Michael Brantley for the team lead in homers.  Speaking of Brantley, he had yet another multi-hit effort today and raised his batting average to .322.  And of course, Corey Kluber continues to be the ace the Indians desperately need this year.

The Negatives

Hard to find many negatives today.  The Indians only got one hit with a runner in scoring position, but the homers made up for that.  Every starter had a hit today except Lonnie Chisenhall.  Heck, even Nick Swisher slapped a single and drew a walk.  It was a solid day for the offense and a great day for the pitching staff, with the bullpen getting some more rest.

Check It Out

-Yan Gomes has the third-highest slugging percentage among all qualified catchers, and ranks within the top ten of nearly every major offensive category for his position.
–Tyler Holt made his major league debut as a defensive replacement in the ninth. He was hitting .389/.438/.528 in his past 9 games at the AAA level with a homer and 3 stolen bases.
-According to ESPN’s statistical database, Michael Brantley is the only player in the American League who has a batting average of at least .320 and is worth at least 3.5 wins above replacement level.